Improvement in collars



A. U. WATERMAN.

Collars.

WITNESSESI MFEIERS, FHoTQ-LITNUGRAPHR. WASMINGTGN. o C,

. when on the neck of aperson as UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

AMELIA U. WATERMAN, OF TROY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HER RIGHT TO MITCHELL DESSERT, OF GREEN ISLAND7 NEW YORK.

IM PROVEM ENT IN COLLARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 218,606, dated August 12, 1879; application filed February 1, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMELIA U. WATER- MAN, of the city of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collars for Gentlemen, Ladies, and Youth, and of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In collars heretofore made open at the back the adjacent meeting or lapping rear-end parts of the upper or exposed portion of the collar ual present a gaping and disagreeable appearance; and such open-back collars, when having the upper or exposed portion in two separate parts, secured to a band, so as to leave an open space between them at the middle' in front, have had the band of uniform thickness throughout, so that the middle front part of the band, between the two inner-end parts of the upper portion, was then commonly too ilexible to retain thosetvvoinner-end parts in proper position on the neck of the wearer.

To overcome or lessen the aforesaid defects are the general objects of this invention, in which one part consists of a collar having at at one end part of its upper or exposed portion a tab adapted to be folded over, so as to cover and conceal the other end part of the said upper or exposed portion when the two end parts of the collar are brought together, substantially as hereinafter described.

Another part of this invention consists of a collar having a button-hole at each end, and at one end of the upper or exposed portion a tab formed with a button-hole in its outer-end part, and arranged and adapted to fold down over and conceal the other end part of said upper or exposed portion when the said end button-holes are brought together, and to then have the button-hole in the folded-down tab coincide with the two end button-holes,'sub stantially as hereinafter set forth.

Another part consists of a collar having one or both of the end parts of its upper portion made thinner than the adjacent part or parts of the said upper portion, and at one end a tab adapted to fold down closely over the said thinner end part or end parts when the ends of thecollar are brought together, substantially as hereinafter described.

Another part consists of a collar having its upper portion in two separate parts, secured to the side portions of a band having its intervening middle portion made thicker than the side portions by a re-enforce piece of cloth inserted and secured between and to the surface layers of the band, substantially as hereinafter described.

In the aforesaid drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a standing collar which embodies this invention, the middle part of one surfacelayer of the band being removed to show the inserted reenforce piece of cloth. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same collar with its end parts brought together and the end tab standing, and Fig. 3 is a view of the same with the tab folded down over the outer lapping end part. Fig. 4 is a thickened longitudinal section of the middle portion of the band of the same collar at the line zz in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section of one end part of the same collar at the line y y, and Fig. 6 is a section of the same end part and the attached tab at the line x m. Fig. 7 is a thickened section of the other end part of the same collar at the line w w. Fig. 8 is a section of the lapping end parts and tab of the same 'collar at the line t o in Fig. 3, and Fig. 9 is a section ofthe same at the line 'u u. Fig. 10 is a vertical section of one end part of a standing collar having the end tab attached to the band of the collar instead of being secured to the upper portion thereof, as in Fig. 1. Fig. 11 is an elevation of the outer side of a turn-down collar which embodies this invention 5 Fig. 12, a rear view of the same collar with the end parts of the band lapped and the tab standing, and Fig. 13 a like view of the same with the tab folded down. Fig. 14 represents a section of the lapped end parts of the same collar at the line t t in Fig. 13, and Fig. 15 a sectional elevation of the same at the line s s. Fig. 16 is a side elevation of a straight standing collar which embodies some parts of this invention; Fig. 17, a rear elevation of the same collar with its ends brought together and the tab standing; Fig. 18, a like view of the same, with the tab folded down, Fig. 19, a

section of the lapped end parts and tab of the same collar at theline r r in Fig. 1S, and Fig. 20 a section ofthe same at the line q q.

1u Figs. 8 and 1i, 14 and 15, and 19 and 2o the lapped ends and folded-down tab are., i'or easy illustration, shown by simple black lines separated by spaces; but those parts in each collar are generally close together or in coutact when the collar is secured on the neck of a person.

Like parts are marked b v like letters in the different figures.

A is the upper or exposed portion of the collar, which has at one end a tab, B, secured iu any suitable manner to the upper portion, A, as in Figs. l and 16, or to the band (i, as in Figs. 10 and 11. When the ends ot' the collar are brought together, as in Figs. 2, 12, or 17, the tab B on one end part ofthe collar can be folded down closely over and against the outer surface ot' the other end part, d, or of both end parts, d d', ot' the upper portion, A, as indicated in Figs. Ii, 13, or 18, so as to thereby cover and conceal the otherwise un sightly gaping adjacent rear end parts of the upper portion of the collar. At the same time the folded-down tap B, which is to he neatly laundried or finished and secured by any suitable known pin, stud, button, or other fastening closely against the outer surface ot' the rear end part, d, or end parts, d (1', oi' the up per portion, A, will give a novel and pleasing finish and appearance to the, rear part of the collar when on the neck of the wearer.

I generally prefer to make the ends ot' the collar with button-holes e e', as heretofore, and the tab with a button-holtV7 f. all arranged so that when the collar shall be placed around the neck of a person, and the ends lapped and secured together and to the neck-band of the shirt by a button or stud engaging with the button-holes c f", as usual, the tab B can then be folded down closely over and against the outer surface oi' the lapped or adjacent end parts of the upper portion, A, ot' the collar, and nicely secured in that position by having the same stud or button also engage with the coinciding button-hole fin the tab, whereby all necessity for any other or additional button, stud, or device for securing the tab in its said folded-down position is cheaply avoided.

1n order to cause the outer surface of the tab B, when folded down across the end part, d, or end parts, d d', of the collar, to project less beyond the adjacent outer surface of the main exposed portion A, and thus give the collar amore tasty appearance and less useless and uncomfortable thickness and stiffness at the back of the neck of the wearer, lconnnonly prefer to make the said end part, d, or end parts, d d', so far only as the same shall be covered by the folded-down tab B, of much less thickness and stiffness than the adjacent parts of the main portion A, as indicated in Figs. 5, T, 8, 14, and 19, by having the said end part or parts consist, mainly, of continuations of only the two thin surface-layers g g', Fig. 7, of the said main portion, while the latter has the usual thick interlining or interlinings h, Fig. 7, to give the necessary' or desired thickness and stittncss to that main portion A of collar.

1n a collar which is open at the back and has the upper portion, A, in two separate parts secured to a band, (l, with an open space between the two inner ends,jj, and a buttonhole, k, in the middle of the band in front, substantially as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 11, 12, or 13, it is important that the side portions of band where the two parts of the upper portion are secured thereto shall be suiciently thin to permit the collar to freely conform to the neck of the person. When the Whole band C is made ot' such uniform thinness throughout and sufficiently narrow in its middle portion to fit the neck properly, that middle portion ofthe band is in that case generally too dexible and not suiciently stiff to hold the forward inner end parts, j j', of the upper portion ofthe collar in proper position about the neck and throat of the person when the co1- lar is secured to the shirt neck-band by the button-holes e e' k, as usual.

1n order to overcome that difficulty and give a good finish, increased durabi1ity,and greater or sufficient stiffness to the middle portion ot' the band to make it better or properly retain in the required position the front end parts, jj', of the two upper side portions, A, of the collar when secured about the neck of the person as usual, I insert and secure, by any suitable stitching or means, a re-enforce piece of' cloth, m, Figs. 1 and 4, in one or more layer or layers,betwcen and tothe usual surface-layers n n', Fi g. 4,of the band C, throughout its middle portion, which connects the two inner ends of the two parts ot' the upper portion, A, and thus make that middle portion of the hand thicker than the side portions thereof, substantially as indicated in Figs. 1 and 4, and thereby greatly improve the durability and fitting qual ty of the collar at very small expense.

1. A collar having at one end part of its upper portion, A, a tab, B, arranged and adapted, substantially as described, to fold over, cover, and conceal the other end part of the said upper portion when the two end parts ofthe collar are brought together, substantially as setforth.

2. A collar having two end button-holes, e e', and at one end of' the upper portion, A, a tab, B, formed with a buttonho1e,f, therein, and arranged and adapted to fold over, cover, and conceal the other end part of the said upper portion when the said end button-holes are brought together, and to then have the button-hole in the tab coincide with the said end button-holes in the collar, all substantially as described.

3. A collar having one or both of the end parts, d d', of the upper portion, A, made thinner than the adjacent part or parts of the said upper portion, and at one end a tab, B, adapted to fold over outside of and against seid thinner end part or end parts when the ends of the collar are brought together, all substantially as described.

4. A coller havin g its upper portion, A, in two separated side parts, secured to the side portions of a, band, C, having its intervening middle portion made thicker than its side portions by the re-enforce piece of cloth m, in-

serted and secured between the surface-layers n n of the band, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hund in the presence of two subscribing witnesses this 30th day of J anuery, 1879.

AMELIA U. WATERMAN. Witnesses:

JOHN J. RAFFERTY,

GEORGE A. WATERMAN. 

